Cobb County Workplace Knee Injury Attorney
A knee injury can set you back for months. Your body feels awful physical pain, while your bank account also suffers from the resulting consultation, surgery, rehabilitation, and medicine. A knee injury can include damage to cartilage, tendons, and bones, such as the femur, tibia, and patella. Ligaments such as the ACL, MCL, LCL, and PCL can be sprained or even torn. Arthroscopic surgery, braces, therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine are some of the common treatments you could receive. If you have fallen due to ice, slipped on grease at work, or were involved in an auto accident, Darwin F. Johnson is the workplace knee injury attorney that will help you get the compensation you are owed.
Dealing with a knee injury can keep you off your feet and not working. This makes it difficult to pay your mortgage, student loans, utility bills, etc., leaving you stressed and frantically searching for a solution. This is where a Darwin F. Johnson workers compensation attorney can help. He and his firm serve residents in Atlanta and Cobby County, GA.
Types of Knee Injuries that Employees Suffer at Work
When it comes to a knee injury, they can occur across any industry. Whether you are landscaping or standing in one place on an assembly line, hurting this important joint can debilitate you. This can mean lost income from missed workdays while recovering, accumulating medical bills, and struggling to meet your usual living costs.
Below are common workplace knee injuries that Atlanta employees suffer from every year:
Tibia Fractures
Fractures of the tibia involve breaking the top of your shin. This joint is crucial in supporting your entire body and cannot absorb movement shock when fractured.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PLC) Tears
A PCL tear occurs when your shinbone sustains a harsh blow just under the knee. You can also hurt this ligament if you fall as your knee is bent.
Broken Fibula
Fibula fractures involve either your lower leg’s tibia or fibula breaking. While this is a common ankle injury, a break can happen anywhere along their entire length. These injuries can occur from blunt force trauma directly to your leg or falling in a way that forces joints to grind against one another.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries
A more common knee injury is tearing your ACL when suddenly pivoting while your knee is locked in position. This type of ligament tear or sprain can require extensive medical care and time off work to heal.
Meniscus Tears
This injury occurs when you tear the cartilage within your knee joint. Heavy lifting activities involving twisting and turning on bent knees and planted feet can cause this condition.
Torn Medial Collateral Ligaments (MCL)
The MCL prevents a knee joint from over-extending itself. Because it’s connected to your thigh and shin bones, partial or full tears can occur if the joint is twisted unnaturally or takes a forceful blow.
Patellar Tendon Injuries
Hurting your patellar tendon can mean several things but usually involves injuring this kneecap tendon. It could be a tear or tendonitis from repetitive use, but the resulting pain can make working impossible until recovered.
While it’s possible to make a full recovery if you suffer a knee injury, you may have lingering damage that requires ongoing care or cannot perform the same work in the future. The Law Offices of Darwin F. Johnson has an extensive background in representing these cases throughout Cobb County and surrounding Atlanta area communities. Give us a call to schedule a free consultation to learn more about what rights you have under state worker’s compensation laws.
Workplace Accidents that Cause Knee Injuries
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that strains, sprains, and ligament tears accounted for over 36% of reported workplace injuries requiring missed time from work. The BLS also reported in 2010 that knees are the second-most frequently injured body part in the workplace.
These statistics should come as no surprise when considering how much we rely on these joints to complete our day-to-day routines. This includes the most basic functions like getting up from our desk or walking across a production floor. When you add stressful job duties like repeatedly climbing ladders or squatting to pick up heavy boxes, the wear and tear we subject our knees to is undeniable.
Common causes of knee injuries can include many of the following activities:
- Overexertion from repetitive stress and motion
- Hyperextending your knee
- Running into or having an object strike the knee
- Slip, trip, and falls
- Pallet jack and forklift accidents
Treating a knee injury can be extremely expensive and jeopardize your finances while laid off work and recovering. The Law Offices of Darwin F. Johnson can help ease this burden by working on your behalf and fighting for the worker’s compensation you deserve. Without an attorney to handle your Atlanta occupational workplace injury case, insurers can take advantage of you. We’ll help you avoid agreeing to a low worker’s comp settlement through our aggressive claim strategies.
What Should I Do If I Injured My Knee At Work?
After suffering a knee injury at work, you may be tempted to tough it out or feel pressured by your employer to return to work quickly. Choosing to do so could jeopardize your healing process and cause further complications that could haunt you for the rest of your life.
Sustaining this type of injury can turn your life upside down and threaten your physical, emotional, and financial well-being if not treated properly. It’s important to consider the risk you take going back to work too soon and speak with a knowledgeable Cobb County workers compensation attorney about your situation first. You have rights under Georgia law and may qualify for many of the following benefits from your employer’s insurer:
- Lost Wages
- Temporary or permanent partial disability coverage
- Benefits for temporary or permanent total disability
- Medical expense reimbursement
- Rehabilitative care
- Wrongful death benefits if your injuries are fatal
Want more info? Read our guide on What to Do After a Knee Injury at Work.
Workers who sustained devastating injuries while on the job in Atlanta and the surrounding area may be eligible for a disability determination under Georgia workers’ compensation guidelines. This means one could potentially receive rehabilitation coverage, medical care, and indefinite total disability benefits if unable to return to work at a later time. Speak with a Darwin F. Johnson workplace injury attorney to learn more about compensation and disability benefits for your knee injury.
Knee Injury Attorney Helping Workers Recover
An attorney here at the Law Offices of Darwin F. Johnson will help you with your knee injury, ensuring that you receive the proper compensation and medical treatment you deserve. We will go over all of your medical records to determine the damage and work with you on how to proceed. With our aggressive tactics and years of experience, we make sure that no one takes advantage of you. Whether you need a back injury attorney in Athens, GA, or a workplace crush injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA, Darwin F. Johnson has you covered.
If you are suffering from a knee injury, choosing a Darwin F. Johnson attorney can make a world of difference for residents of Macon, Atlanta, and Athens, GA. We make sure insurance companies don’t delay your claim or minimize your payout. Call us today at 404-521-2667 to schedule a free consultation.
